Warriors to Lourdes May 2025 at No Cost for Veterans
ABOUT THE WARRIORS TO LOURDES PILGRIMAGE
Since 2013, the Knights of Columbus has partnered with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, to sponsor the annual Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage.
Each year, wounded, ill and injured U.S. warriors (as well as non-wounded) are accepted to participate in a five-day retreat in Lourdes culminating with the events of the International Military Pilgrimage. Selected pilgrims spend this time of prayer and reflection taking meaningful steps in their journey toward healing from moral injury and finding inner peace.
THE 2025 WARRIORS TO LOURDES PILGRIMAGE
The Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage will take place 13-19 May, 2025 during the 65th International Military Pilgrimage 16-18 May 2025.
The application period for the Pilgrimage begins September 15, 2024 thru January 15, 2025.
Learn if you are eligible to apply. If you have questions, please email us at [email protected].
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MILITARY PILGRIMAGE
During World War II, members of the French military visited the site of St. Bernadette’s apparitions, offering prayers for peace. In December of 1944, U.S. military personnel joined British, Belgian, French, and Russian military representatives for a Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. After the War, French soldiers and their chaplains invited German soldiers and their chaplains to gather to pray together. The purpose of this initiative was to heal physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds and to reconcile the past between these former adversaries by recognizing their common identity as Christians in search of peace. The first official PMI was celebrated in 1958—13 years after the war and one-hundred years after the apparitions. Today, the PMI continues to take place for one weekend each May, drawing active-duty members and veterans from over 40 nations.
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